Strict food safety instructions during Ramadan

By

Staff

PublishedSunday, July 15, 2012

Dubai Municipality on Monday issued an order asking restaurants, bakeries, cafeterias, catering services and shops selling traditional sweets not to display snack items outside the shops during the holy month of Ramadan, without permit in advance from Food Control Department.

Khalid Mohammed Sharif Al Awadi, Director of Food Control Department at Dubai Municipality, said: “We wish to implement a comprehensive food safety mechanism to achieve our dream to become a city where sustainability and comfort of living ensured.”

“As part of DM’s implementation of best practices in the field of food safety , Department has already fixed many conditions in Food production and processing. During Ramadan we are more alert not to happen any food related incidents,” he continued.

He said food items should be displayed only inside highly efficient hot cabinets made in accordance with adequate health and safety requirements and specifications. Workers should definitely maintain personal cleanliness and hygiene. Displayed items should not at all contain high–risk items like meat, chicken and fish. Snacks should be displayed in food cabinets specially made for food storage. Display spots should be neat and far from any possible external contamination.

He said all the food shops have been asked not to process, heat or cook items outside the establishments.
Shops strictly are warned not to display and sell food items before (at most) two hours from the time of Iftar. The final cooking process should have been done before (at most) two hours before selling it.

DM asked the establishments to submit application for displaying and selling snacks with attaching list of products to sell at DM centre in Al Tawar. Fee for this is Dh210.